Lillian L. Gross

Lillian Louise Gross (Lil) was born June 26, 1926 to the late James and Sarah Kimble, she departed this life on February 20, 2023 at the Villa Rosa Nursing and Rehabilitation, Mitchellville, Maryland.
Growing up in Washington, DC, she lived with her parents and 5 siblings. She was the third child of 6, Esther Alexander, Geraldine Washington Charlton, James Kimble Jr. (Jimmy), and Laurence Kimble (Lonnie), all deceased; her only living sibling Vivian Tennille of Washington, DC. At a young age she accepted Catholicism and remained Catholic through her lifetime.
Lil married the late James Warren Gross Sr. and from that union they were blessed with 4 beautiful daughters, Patricia, Lynn, Brenda (deceased) and Wendy and one "Lucky" son James Jr. She was truly a proud mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother.
Lil was educated in the DC Public School System graduating from the old Cardozo High School. She was a housewife for many years. Once her kids were in school, she began working part-time at High's Ice Cream Store. Her kids were happy she was working there because they knew ice cream was always free. She worked 20 years for High's becoming the manager of the Minnesota Avenue store until all DC stores were closed.
Subsequently, she began her in-home daycare business and cared for many children. She had a passion for caring for babies; she watched them until they reached school age. The day care kids all called her "mama Lil" and considered her there second mother.
She was also a HERO. On February 9, 1989, during a fire in her building, she saved 8 babies by throwing them out the window into the open arms of the maintenance workers, 3 stories below. As flames engulfed the building, she climbed through the window and was saved by first responders. Her heroic actions were immortalized in a video on YouTube's Rescue 911 Episode 1.14 Baby Fire Rescue.
Lil was very lucky! She loved going to the casinos playing slots, playing card games, Po-ke-no, and Bingo. She played bingo several times a week and took many bingo trips with family and friends. She also loved to travel; for years, she would visit Kingston, Jamaica, Canada, New York, and many places throughout the states.
Lil was also a great cook and really enjoyed it. Her favorite dish was making her famous potato salad; she would make it for birthdays, company picnics, and holidays. Her potato salad was the only potato salad she and many family members would eat.
Lil leaves, to cherish her memory, her sister, Vivian Tennille; her children: Patricia Payne (Charles),
Lynn Gross-Butler (Edward), Wendy Upsur (Will), James Gross Jr. (Nadia); her grandchildren: Joseph Gross III, James Gross III, Camille Tyler, Charnita Tyler, Sherri Turner, and Robin Gross; twenty-eight great-grandchildren, forty-five great-great grandchildren; 3 nieces: Jessie Alexander-Jones, Toni Johnson and Terri Jackson; and a host of other honorary family members and many, many friends.
Lil was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Gross Sr., her daughter, Brenda L. McCord, and her grandson, Torrence Tracy Hall Sr.